Research Len Hartman.
Gene, I have several blog posts that may help (linked in my signature), many of which are devoted to new musky anglers and how to type stuff. There is a lot of info on the web, and let me tell you first that muskies aren't that picky like you'd think, it's more of when they will bite than what lure they are hitting. When choosing a lure, use one that gets you in the strike zone and let the muskies do the action.Next, get tackle up to the task, like XH rods. If you're trolling, length isn't much of an issue, but if you are casting, get a nice long musky rod to help you with figure 8's, and the length and heavy action helps with leverage while casting those huge lures (will save wear and tear on shoulders and elbows). If you're using topwater, maybe not quite as long. Muskies will feed up at night too, so topwater is effective then.Don't be afraid to go large with your lures. A 10", 8 oz. lure isn't really all that big when fishing for muskies. They make lures up to 1 or even 2 pounds! But, that's probably a good place to start. I talk about lure selection in my blog posts, but basically, get a good selection of lures that cover the depths that you'll fish. You will find confidence when you start getting action.But, don't expect action every trip out. You will get skunked now and then, maybe not see a fish, but don't give up. Keep casting even when you're tired, or keep trolling. Always do figure 8's after each cast and when you reel up to check your lure after trolling, even if they are fouled (muskies aren't as picky as we are). Sooner or later, you'll find something that works, so keep good records and pay attention to past successes (even follows).Another tip, moon phases, rises and sets play a roll in fish activity, keep that in mind.Tiger muskies hit the same stuff as pures, but sometimes downsizing works better on them. In a lake, if you're casting, look for deep weed beds and hit the edges.Where to find muskies in a lake? During warmer months, troll the thermocline and pick a lure that will get down there.Oh, and when you start catching them, the thrill will justify your spending on the tackle (as long as wifey don't see the bills).One final piece of advice. If you are CP&R fishing for them, get the right net and release tools...they make a difference. Keep the fish in the water, in the net, while you unhook them. When taking a picture, carefully lift them out and with one hand in the gill plate and one supporting it's weight just past mid body, keep the fish horizontal when taking the picture. Juveniles, maybe not as important, but too much weight on those gill connections is tough on the fish. Also, get a pair of hook cutters (Knipex are good for this) and cut the hooks if they are deep or may cause the fish harm. Hooks are relatively cheap. Know how many I've had to cut the past three years? One hook. You'll know when it's time to cut those hooks. Why cut hooks? The longer muskies are out of the water, the less chance of survival, more than most fish, and removing hooks deep in toothy throats takes time. Also, if the hooks are deep and the fish goes ballistic in the net, those deep hooks cause major damage.Anyway, good luck on your quest for 'skies!
mite be these http://www.kineticfishing.com/default.aspx?pageId=270these are very similar to the above lure. http://www.muskymania.com/products/any thing squirrelly tailed at the musky mania link is similar to what is shown there at kinetic lures... by the way i got a good chart to find but it show aggression stages of these critters for ice fishing it is just finding the right pace for them in the summer i find on pike is the same as musky some times.. also could try live bait trolling suckers seen them do that with pete maina on infishermen see if half.com has book on musky from infishermen most of the time book got more info then their site does.